Hammock stretcher or adjuster



(No Model.)

B. 0. 000K. HAMMO'GK STRETGHER on ADJUSTER.

Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

$7M 2. law/A UNKTED STATES PATENT Fries.

EGBERT C. COOK, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

HAMMOCK- STRETCHER OR ADJUSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,815, dated March 16, 1886.

Application filed December 21, 1885. Serial No. 186.272. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EGBERT O. COOK, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cookv and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hammock Stretchers or Adjusting or Distending Bars, of which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The purpose of my invention is to provide improved means for the purpose of distending or adjusting the suspension-cords of hammocks.

Heretofore ,distendingbars or hammockstretchers have been made removable or separable from the suspension-cords, in order that the hammocks might be compactly folded. for being stored when notin use, and also to facilitatetransportation. The distending-bars have also been madein sections separable from each other for the same purposes.

I aim to secure like advantages, and also to improve the distending-bars in other respects, all of which will be hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of so much of a distended hammock as is necessary to illustrate myinveution. Fig. 2 is a section in the plane of the line x 00 of Fig. 1. viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow there shown. Fig. 3 is a detail, the same being a side view of a portion of one of the distending-bais; and Fig. at is a top view of one of the jointed portions orjaws at thejunction of the sections constituting a distending-bar.

Like letters of reference indicatelike parts.

A represents the net, web, or reticulated part of the hammock.

B B are suspension-cords looped or otherwise suitably connected to the part, A. These cords B B are collected ordrawn togetherinto a loop or eye, a, in the usual manner or in any suitable way.

So far as thus described,there are no features of construction new with me, and I desire to state that my improvements,as willhereinafter more fully appear, may be applied with equal advantage to hammocks differently constructed, especially when the variation of construction relates to the cordage only.

0 represents one of my improved distending-bars. This bar I make, by preference, of cast metal, and each bar consists of several sections, Z) I). These sections are joined or hinged together at their meeting ends in such a manner that each section may be folded back against the one next thereto in succession. beginning at either end of the bar. In other words, the bar may be so folded that itslength after it is folded will not exceed the length of the longest section or link therein. necessary, however, that the sections should be folded backin regular succession.

Tojoin or hinge the sections together, I overlap their meeting ends, as is clearly indicated at c c, Fig. 4, and through these overlapping parts I pass rivets (Z d. This is a simple and inexpensive way ofjoining or hinging the sections 1) I) together, so that they may be compactly folded one upon the other; but as other well-known forms of joints or hinges may be made to admit of the like result I do not here intend to restrict myself to any particular way of making the said hinges.

O C are jaws or clasps at or near thejunction of the sections 1) I). Thesejaws consist of substantially like parts, one projecting upward from one section and the other upward from the next succeeding section.

The parts constituting the jaws or clasps O C are somewhat curvilinear, as is clearly in dicated at a, so that when the jaws are together or in contact at their upper ends a space or opening, 0, will exist between them. On the lower edges of the outer sections, 1) b, and at or near the ends thereof are the hooks D D, the tongues of which extend toward the central part of the bar 0.

In practice Ideem it preferable to make the sections 1) Z) slightly curved, so that when these parts are all unfolded and applied to the hammock the latter will assume the form usualwhen prepared for use, as indicated in Fig. 2; but a curved or bow-shaped appearance will also exist, even if the sections b b be straight, provided the parts forming the jaws or clasps C G are allowed to meet or to be closed when this bow-shaped form of the distending-bars is reached by the unfolding of the sections 1) b. If the unfolded sections be suspended by the hooks D D, the distending-bar will retain its bow-like shape or form during such suspension, for the jaws being along the upper edge of the bar will all be closed by the mere force of gravity. The jaws, however, maybe opened It is not gether.

one after the other by raising the sections slightly at their joints.

To apply my improved hammock stretchers or distending bars to the use for which they are intended, I unfold the sections 12 b in the manner now described, and hook the hooks D D upon or over the outer or lateral suspensioncords, B B. I then open the jaws O O sufficiently, one after the other, to receive the other suspension-cords, respectively, and when these cords are all arranged in their appropriate jaws the hammock will be properly adjusted or distended for use, it being understood that I employ two distending-bars, one at or near each end of the hammock. 7

It will be perceived from the foregoing'description, and from reference to the drawings, that my improved distending-bars will not only properly adjust or distend the hammock, but that they may be applied and removed therefrom with facility; also, that the bars themselves may be folded compactly away when not in use.

I desire also to call attention to the fact that my improved distending-bars are useful as articles of merchandise, being capable of being applied to the use for which they are intended without further manipulation relating to their construction. In otherwords, manufacturers of hammocks, if supplied with these distending-bars, may apply them to hammocks without further work than merely hooking the bars to the suspension-cords in the manner described.

It will be perceived from the foregoing description, and on reference to the drawings, that the sections 72 b overlap each other at their ends and in the direction of their length, and the overlapping parts have pintles passing through them. The result of this construction is, that each one of the sections may be folded upon the adjoining section, and that all the sections, when folded, will lie compactly to- In other words, the stretcher or adju'ster, when completely folded, will not exceed in length the length of its longest section, and will not exceed in thickness or breadth the sum or total of the breadth of itsindividual sections when arranged closely together.

Iam aware that hammock-spreaders have heretofore been made in folding sections; but these sections have not, so far as Iam aware,

been capable of being folded as'compactly as when constructed in the manner now described.

I do not, however, here intend to claim, broad ly, a hammock stretcher or adjuster made in sections which are capable of being folded toeach other at their ends in the direction of theirlength, and the said overlapping parts being jointed or hinged to each other, for the purpose of thereby permitting the sections to be folded together one upon the other, substan-- tially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, substantially as specified, in ahammock adjusting or distending bar, of a series ofhinged or folding sections, b b, each having at or near the ends thereof the meeting jaws or clasps C O, the ends of the said sections overlapping each other laterally, or side by side, and the said overlapping portions be} ing joined or hinged together, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

r 3. A hammock adjusting or distending bar consisting of a series of metallic sections, each made in one and the same piece, the said sections having thereon jaws for clamping the suspensioncords of a hammock detachably, and the said sections overlapping each other at their ends and in the direction of their length, and the said overlapping parts being hinged or jointed together, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination, substantially as speci; fied, with the suspension-cords of a hammock, of afolding, adjusting, or distending bar, consisting of a series of sections adapted to clasp the said cords by means of jaws or clasps O Oand hooks D D, the said sections overlapping each other at their ends and in the direction of their length, and the said overlapping portions being hinged or jointed together, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereunto affix my signature in pres? ence of two witnesses.

Viitnesses:

F. F. WARNER, M. B. RICH.

ICC,

EGBERT c. cook. 

